Nations Forge Alternative Global Order as SCO Summit Concludes Amidst Geopolitical Tensions

Concluding its summit in Kyrgyzstan, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)—a diverse coalition striving to counter Western global influence—advocated for a more representative and equitable multipolar world order.

The 25th summit of the bloc’s ten members—China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan—convened regional leaders alongside “dialogue partners” from Central Asia, the Caspian region, the Middle East, and broader Asia. The extensive forum addressed a rapidly shifting multipolar landscape, navigating significant disagreements and frequently diverging interests.

The conflict in Iran and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine dominated the summit’s agenda, disrupting global supply chains and spurring emerging alternatives through Central Asia and the Caspian, alongside rapid geopolitical realignments and shockwaves.

In a globally impactful moment, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his war against Ukraine on live television. “Every single day spent in war pushes humanity backwards,” Modi unexpectedly told a visibly tense Putin. “We need to move from endless war to the end of war, to the end of hostilities.” “This is very important for all of humanity,” Modi added. “We have to move in that direction, which is also essential for the welfare of humanity. It is humanity’s call to resolve all issues peacefully as soon as possible,” the Indian premier told the Russian president. “This is India’s message—the message from the land of Gandhi, the land of Buddha: a message of peace, a message of humanity.”

Putin offered no immediate response to Modi, though he later addressed the summit by stating, “today, 1 September, is the day World War II began.” “We must do everything to exclude from world practice any provocation of armed conflicts,” Putin added, noting that Russia’s war in Ukraine has now surpassed World War II in duration.

In a separate setback for the Kremlin, a bilateral meeting between Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping yielded no progress on a Siberian natural gas pipeline that Moscow urgently needs, as the country’s infrastructure and economy suffer from continuous Ukrainian strikes on key energy targets. However, Putin received public gratitude from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who thanked him “for your positions at every stage.”

Putin stated that Russia is providing Iran with assistance and “supplying the needed goods,” emphasizing that “Russia stands in solidarity with the people of Iran, who are defending their interests.” He further expressed his “admiration for their courage and steadfastness” in their fight against the US and Israel. “Today we are experiencing an erosion of the foundations upon which international order is built,” Pezeshkian said. “If such actions are met with no effective response from the international community, what state can be certain that its sovereignty and security will be protected in the future against the use of force?”

The Iranian delegation sought maximum outcomes at the summit. Pezeshkian met with his Azerbaijani, Indian, and Pakistani counterparts, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi convened with counterparts from China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Russia.

China and Turkey Champion Multilateralism

China, which views the SCO as an alternative to Western-aligned organizations like the G7, has recently sought to expand the bloc’s scope and influence, while Russia and Iran joined the summit to cultivate relations with non-Western partners and secure support and recognition. In his address, Xi stated that the SCO should “foster an environment of universal security,” while criticizing “hegemony, unilateralism, and protectionism” which run “counter to the tide of history.” Xi further urged SCO leaders and partners to “shoulder the responsibility of the times,” asserting that multipolarity is an “irreversible trend” and that “dominance by just one or several countries, or bloc politics are not true multilateralism.”

Turkey, which holds partner status within the SCO, is leveraging the platform to bolster its regional standing. Ankara views its partnership as part of a balanced foreign policy that maintains traditional Western ties through NATO while expanding its influence in Eurasia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told the summit that the SCO is “a rising star in every field” and that with its “3.5 billion people and $35 trillion in gross domestic product (it) is an indispensable element of a multipolar order.”

Describing the SCO as a “complement to the UN,” Erdoğan said the organization “has a structure that aligns with our multidimensional foreign policy centred on regional ownership,” adding that “as Türkiye, we are taking responsibility for resolving conflicts around us through dialogue and diplomacy.” Erdoğan highlighted a new priority for summit participants: alternative transport and energy corridors, as the conflict in Iran disrupted traditional avenues. “We believe that the organisation can play a role not only in ensuring peace and stability, but also in establishing uninterrupted and secure transportation corridors, which are vital for the prosperity of our peoples, and in areas such as energy supply security,” the Turkish president said.

Billions in Central Asia and Caucasus Projects

Leaders from Central Asia and the South Caucasus relentlessly pushed to maximize economic opportunities for their regions, as the Iran war and broader Middle East disruptions place them at the forefront of new global trade and connectivity solutions. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Premier Nikol Pashinyan held a new round of peace talks in Bishkek, with Aliyev declaring that “the South Caucasus is becoming a zone of peace.”

Pashinyan noted that transport corridors and regional connectivity are now advancing toward the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP). Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev informed the summit that trade among SCO countries has reached $1 trillion, with much more remaining to unlock the full potential of cooperation and resource utilization. Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed establishing a bank dedicated to inter-regional projects, natural resource management, digital services, and healthcare. Mirziyoyev agreed with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to increase bilateral trade from $18 billion in 2025 to $30 billion in the coming years through a portfolio of joint investment projects and industrial cooperation. “The existence of multiple centres of political influence is an important condition for advancing a political pluralism on the international stage,” Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon said.

New Security Centre Approved

Beyond diplomacy, the summit concluded Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship with a series of institutional decisions. Leaders signed the Bishkek Declaration and a protocol amending the SCO’s Founding Charter, which Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev said would establish the basis for a more flexible bloc. On security, members approved the rules for a Universal Centre for Countering Security Challenges based in Tashkent and an anti-drug centre in Dushanbe. A unit to combat transnational organized crime will open in Bishkek under this center, marking the first permanent SCO body on Kyrgyz soil. Members also agreed to complete consultations “in the shortest possible time” on a long-discussed SCO development bank, aiming to sign its founding document, although no deal was concluded in Bishkek. Leaders adopted further documents on artificial intelligence, climate, energy, and information security, a declaration on nuclear safety, and a decision to develop cooperation with the African Union. Kyrgyzstan stated it held around 200 events during its chairmanship, more than 50 of them within the country, and marked the anniversary by naming a 4,050-metre peak in the Ala-Archa range “SCO Peak.” Pakistan now assumes the chairmanship and will host the next summit in Islamabad.

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